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5.0
#25 of 36 lodges in Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, adjacent to the Kruger National Park, Elephant Plains Game Lodge offers excellent Big 5 game viewing, luxurious accommodation and sumptuous cuisine. The lodge caters for the discerning traveller, offering a variety of accommodation options, varying from rondavels and luxury suites to the Manyeleti honeymoon suite. Elephant Plains Game Lodge is world renowned for excellent Big 5 game viewing and guests can enjoy two game drives and a bush walk per day. Facilities include two swimming pools, a gym, conference centre, small library and games room. We also cater for small, intimate weddings. The lodge is owner run and can accommodate a maximum of 24 guests. This guarantees personal service and attention to detail. Our unpretentious style ensures that guests regrettably leave the warm and friendly atmosphere of our little piece of Africa...
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
Sabi Sands Game Reserve, Kruger National Park South Africa
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Elephant Plains Game Lodge is celebrated for its exceptional service, with guests frequently highlighting the staff's commitment to a memorable and personalized stay. Cleanliness at the lodge is top-notch, earning high praise and an 'A+' from reviewers. The amenities, including well-appointed rooms with breathtaking views and a plethora of wildlife activities, are usually appreciated, though some guests believe certain aspects could be improved.
While opinions on value are mixed, with the cost being a point of contention for some, the rooms' comfort and design, along with the modern and stylish atmosphere of the lodge, often leave a lasting impression. However, it's worth noting that some guests missed having basic amenities like reliable internet access.
Atmosphere
Chic
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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This was our first safari trip, and I cannot speak highly enough of the experience.
Elephant Plains staff is attentive, skilled and kind. We traveled in a group of four, and had reserved two rooms. One group booked late and by that time one of the nights the lodge was sold out. The Elephant Plains staff was incredibly understanding and as soon as an opening was secured they placed us in that slot. Meant so much that our group was able to stick together for the entire duration of the trip!
This was our first safari, as well as our first "all inclusive travel experience." Usually we shy away from all-inclusive resorts, cruises, etc., preferring to schedule our own days. I am so glad we opted to safari with the skilled rangers and trackers from Elephant Plains. Their knowledge of local flora and fauna was unparalleled, and enriched the experience beyond my wildest expectations. Huge kudos to Ruan and Chris - cannot thank either of them enough!
Meals were delicious, and featured South African Cuisine in addition to American and European options. We had a dietary restriction in our group and the sensitivity was treated with care and respect.
the bar was well-stocked and the bartender was friendly. By night two he knew all of our orders! Again, simply cannot say enough great things about the entire staff.
Cannot wait to bring more friends and family back to Elephant Plains! What an amazing first safari experience.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Rooms with animal names (i.e. Elephant, Leopard) have great views where you might see wildlife
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marlet Swart, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 3 Apr 2020
Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful review. I am delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you also for all the lovely compliments. Please recommend us to your friends and family back home. And do return to EP if you ever visit South Africa again one day. Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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Ground: the space all around was beautiful, clean and very scenic. Our room was spacious. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash was provided in the room which was helpful not to have to pack extra things. Food: loved the atmosphere during meal times. We had our table set up and food brought out probably at our arrival. Loved that meals were included and didn’t have to worry about a thing. Meals themselves were simple but good. Safari tour: excellent! Kiser and Deon were the best guid and tracker out there. All the drivers communicate with each other (throughout several resorts) once they track and find the animals so that other vehicles can come and join. Kiser and Deon were always the first to track down an animal and then communicated to others where they spotted the animal. Got to witness several action full moments like lions hunting, leopards mating, and many other things. Also, sundowners are my new favorite thing now. A downer was that there was no WiFi in the room and a very weak signal at the main lodge. And getting there was a bit ruff. Overall it was a very memorable trip and would recommend to others.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Marketing at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 10 Mar 2022
Thank you for your kind review and compliments. We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay and would recommend us to others. Thank you for that. Sorry about the inconvenience of the Wifi connection and road condition during your stay. Being situated in the middle of the bush, sometimes do have their challenges. We would love to welcome you back in the near future. Kind regards
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On a hillside setting the lodge overlooks a small river (albeit dry for long periods). The lodge and its grounds are well maintained.
Our Luxury Double room had all required amenities, including air conditioning, and was very spacious.The room came with a large balcony deck with comfortable chairs overlooking a watering hole, about 4-500 metres away. This resulted in passing impala and elephants.
Staff were welcoming, courteous. and helpful.
Food was well presented, varied and delicious. Dinner options were limited, but alternatives can be provided if prior notice is given. Similarly dietary restrictions can often be accommodated if the staff are made aware.
Game drives were excellent.
Of all the lodges that we have stayed at in Kruger and Sabi Sands, Elephant Plains is by far the best.
A special thank you to Remember, for our first welcome and assistance during our stay, Chefs Yolandi & Floris (dankie vir die bobotie resep), Ismael (Bar), Ryan (Guide), Chris (Tracker) and Onnie (Restaurant)
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marlet Swart, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 17 Mar 2020
Thank you very much for your kind and detailed review. I am glad that you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you also for naming us the best by far of all the lodges you stayed at. The chefs did forward me the photos of your bobotie you made once back home. What a nice reminder of your time here. Please do visit us again! Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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Our holiday started from 05 to 09 January 2020. This was our first time visiting Sabi Sands Game Reserve and it was so much fun. I had trouble to locate the best lodge at Sabi Sands but finally decided on Elephant Plains. I always work according to reviews of other people who stayed at the lodge, and a good friend of mine also said EP is the best choice.
We stayed in the Buffalo Luxury Suite for 4 nights. The room were fabulous, spacious and very well appointed looking over the watering hole. It was suprisingly much more spacious than we thought, but that's what makes the luxury suite so comfortable, the space to move around. Every morning during our game drives the staff comes in and clean the rooms, so by the time you get back to the room after breakfast it was neat and clean.
Meals were excellant and both the chefs were easy to communicate with and it almost felt like we were friends for a long time as they made the time to come and chat with you and just to make jokes, we really enjoyed that as we don't get it at the other lodges.
Our ranger Morne and tracker Chris made the game drives worth your while. They tried to ensure that every game drive had at least one memorable experience. We saw the big 5 as well as the wild dogs, but no cheetah sightings which was still great for us because we were more interested in the leopards as we don't see them to often going to other game reserves.
On the Wednesday morning it was just myself and hubby on the morning game drive with Chris and Morne and we spend most of the time waiting for Hosana the male leopard to mate with his "girlfriend" but nothing much happened but it was stil nice to sit in the bush watching these two play and to listen to the different sounds in the background. We did 8 game drives in total, and eveything time you see something new and beautiful.
I would recommend Elephant Plains to anybody who wants to go and relax in the bush with only the best service. EP is by far the best lodge we have been too. Keep up the good work.
Regards, Ryno & Riana Muller
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from EP2, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 24 Jan 2020
Thank you very much for the kind review and compliments. I am delighted that you enjoyed your stay as much. Thank you also for recommending us. We would love to welcome you back one day. Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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Located in an area currently teeming with just about every animal except cheetah, Elephant Plains represents just about the best value in the Sabi Sand reserve. I had the most basic accommodation - a rondavel - which was absolutely fine, with a huge ensuite shower/bathroom. The bed was comfortable. The central area of the lodge did everything that was expected. The most important thing about such a visit is, of course, the game drives. There were two three-hour drives a day, guided by the expert and interesting Dylan, who was very keen to find us the game that we wanted to see.
The catering was generally of very good standard. Lodges seem to come in two types: those which accommodate a large number of guests around the same table, and those like Elephant Plains which provide separate tables in the dining room for every couple or family group. I was travelling solo, and the lodge ensured that a member of staff sat with me at every mealtime.
There is no waterhole providing a focal point at this lodge, though the luxury accommodation overlooks a pleasant valley.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Elephant Plains Game Lodge, Marketing at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 10 Mar 2022
Thank you for your kind review and for calling us excellent value. Attention to detail is what we're all about and we'll always make a solo visitor feel comfortable and at home - unless they request otherwise of course. Please do visit again one day. Kind regards.
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Elephant plains is the most stunning place you’ll ever go.
From the views from our room (Buffalo), to the incredible food! (Yolande), our amazing guide (Tiaan), the coolest spotter (Corbett) and most importantly the wonderful bar lady (Silence) we could not of asked for a better stay.
We went on 3 morning and 3 night game drives, waking up to lions roaring. We saw 3 different leopards. One had a kill up a tree the other 2 we watched try and hunt impala but then got ambushed by lions in the most dramatic of final drives!
Tiaan was superb, he had an answer to every question we threw at him, drove over some of the craziest tracks to get us the best views and delivered the big 5 within 2 days as well as getting us within touching distance of the most beautiful big cats!
Corbett, our spotter, WHAT A MAN. He is the coolest guy I’ve ever met. Slight hand signals to direct Tiaan, hearing the slightest rattle to know where an elephant is going to jump out from, following lion foot prints to their location! Wow! Also he can open beer bottles with the ring on his finger 🤯🤯
The food - honestly I’ve not eaten better and nor Will I ever eat again! It was spectacular. Quasedillas for lunch, Kodu steak for dinner (our favourite) and so much more!
Finally the room. Every game drive someone would come in, tidy up the mess we had made (not deliberately) the bed would be made beautifully and mosquito nets would be down for us!
All in all, I can’t thank every single member of staff enough. Remember was so welcoming, but the main shout out of my stay was to Silence. She makes the best Pina Coladas in the world, yes she has an award! Every meal we had she would remember our drink and always with a lovely smile! We love her!!
Thank you so much and hopefully we will be able to save up and come back again, because every penny is more than worth it!
Will
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â 3 days is a good length of time for non experienced Safari viewers. Getting up early and late...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marlet Swart, Marketing at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 11 Apr 2023
Wow, thank you for this very kind and detailed review. You haven't missed one aspect. The room, food, drives, members of staff. It sounds like you truly had an amazing time. Please do visit us again one day. Kind regards, The EP Team
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We stayed here as part of our honeymoon trip and we were made to feel very special. The room was decorated with a heart of rose petals on the bed on the first night and on returning to our room on our last night after a candle lit dinner in a small separate area, arranged by Ishmail, there were more rose petals leading to the bathroom with a hot bubble bath run with more rose petals and champagne in the ice bucket.
The food was excellent and the game drives were brilliant. We saw the big 5 up close as well as a snake and bull frog found and handled by our ranger Darryn and tracker Dion. The experience exceeded our expectations..everything we wanted and more awesome...thank you x
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from EP2, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 25 Jan 2020
Thank you very much for your kind review. I am delighted that you enjoyed your honeymoon with us. I am glad that we managed to exceed your expectations. That is exactly what we strive for. Please do visit us again one day - maybe for an anniversary?! Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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After a Covid 19 enforced delay and a somewhat longer than normal road transfer from Hoedspruit/ Eastgate Airport due to the current state of the roads, we finally returned to Elephant Plains. From the moment that we arrived to a personal greeting until we departed it felt like home from home.
After exceptional rains caused by cyclone Freddy a few weeks earlier the bush was far thicker than we had previously experienced, which made it more difficult to spot some of the game. While this did impact on the amount of game that we saw, our Guide and Tracker Tiaan and Colbert did a great job in finding a wide variety for us, including the increasingly rare wild dogs.
The lodge, its accommodation, facilities and grounds are maintained to a high standard with monkeys, baboon, impala and nyala often seen just outside our room.
Accommodation is provided on a full board basis. Breakfasts and lunches were good with a reasonable selection of foods. Dinners offered a limited selection, which although were to our liking, but did not always appeal to some guests. This issue was feedback to management with the indication that alternatives may in future be considered. Given some prior notice, dietary needs can be catered for. A special thanks to chef Yolandi (dankie vir die bobotie en die resepte).
While drinks from the bar were chargeable, a good selection is available. With taking wine with lunch and dinner, together with a couple of very nice bottles of South African champagne style sparkling wine, our bar bill for a six night stay was very reasonable.
Our thanks to Barbara, Kelle, Darren and all the staff for another memorable stay, hoping to return next year.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marlet Swart, Marketing at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 11 Apr 2023
Thank you very much for you kind and detailed review. We loved to welcome you back one again. We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay and are looking forward to welcoming you back again. Kind regards, The EP Team
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A world class game experience that could have been better supported during the day at the camp. Liked · The meals were superb and the quantity far more than what we required. We had chosen just cheese and muffins with fruit at breakfast because the food was just too much. The game drives and guides were outrageously good and offered us sightings that surprised even regular bush travellers like ourselves. This was most definitely the highlight of our stay. The pool was most refreshing and the gym facilities more than adequate should you wish to burn a few of the calories you have collected at meal times.
Disliked · Our booking stated full board but yet we were charged for drinks and water. The booking also claimed that there is a mini bar, while the fridge was there it was only stocked once with two waters and they were never replenished. There was little service at the bar during the day and believe that at that price there should be more service during the course of the day while resting after and before game drives.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marlet Swart, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 17 Feb 2021
Thank you for your kind review and compliments. I am glad that you enjoyed the meals, as well as the sightings. Regarding the drinks, only sundowners are included, as stated in all our correspondence. Mini-bars are stocked upon request (you just need to complete the form provided) and yes, you do receive complimentary water upon arrival. I am unsure as to where the barman was when you needed him. They're on duty the whole day. Sometimes they collect stock, or do rounds at the other swimming pool, or stock mini bar requests, so it might well be that he was not behind the bar 24/7. You would have been welcome to request help from reception and someone would have gladly assisted with your drinks orders. Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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Elephant Plains is simply fantastic! We got recommended by a friend of ours who indicated for that not only was it a first class safari experience it was also absolute luxury (and by comparison with others that are similar, very good value).
Well, he was not wrong. We were treated like royalty for our 4 nights. The accommodation and Lodge is superb and the food was as good as any we had on our Tour of South Africa. The whole team are superb.
Our Ranger Darryn was very knowledgable, very passionate and had a great sense of humour. We saw all the Big 5, lots of other animals and topped off by seeing a kill. Darryn is so passionate about making sure all his guests get to see as much as possible and will go out of his way.
The other Rangers on the other cars Dillon and Morne were also very welcoming and I know their guests enjoyed it immensely.
We loved it and can’t wait to go back, thank you!!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from EP2, Owner at Elephant Plains Game Lodge
Responded 30 Jan 2020
Thank you very much for your kind review and compliments. I am delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us and that you call us a very special place, with value for money. Please do visit us again. We are looking forward to welcoming you back! Kind regards, Marlet Swart
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Very casual, no need to dress up. There is usually just time for a quick shower before dinner. No tips necessary during dinner, all inklusive, but you could leave a tip upon leaving in the reception which will be split among the staff
We felt the views were totally worth it. IDK if you can request a specific room ahead of time and I don't know about the others; only the one we stayed in. There is a lot of down time in the mid day (e.g., if it's windy you can't do a walkabout) and it was fantastic to sit on the deck and watch all the animals parade by and around. Like a real-time screen saver!
Johannesburg, South Africa4 contributions1 helpful vote
You are correct, drinks are charged separately. The prices are not exorbitant for example a bottle of white wine would be ZAR 250.00 to 300.00. Coffee and tea are included in the fee. It does surprise me that drinks are not included but overall you do get value for money.
Yes you do pay park entrance fee of + - ZAR 400.00 which again is not over the top. Whichever lodge you stay at in Sabi Sands this fee needs to be paid
Bedfordview, South Africa13 contributions2 helpful votes
Hi Gary, you can bank on at least 6 1/2 hours depending on the weather and the sand road which is the last 30kms. You might want to consider flying from OR Tambo to Skukuza or Hoedspruit airports if you don’t want such a long transfer. Those flights are normally about 30 minutes.
There are more places to choose from in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
$1,031 - $1,509 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
elephant plains game hotel sabi sand game reserve, elephant plains game nelspruit
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkSabi Sand Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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